Platelet influence on T- and B-cell responses

• Published in: Archivum Immunologiae et Therapiae Experimentalis Vol. 57; no. 4; pp. 235 - 241
• Main Authors: Sowa, Jennifer M., Crist, Scott A., Ratliff, Timothy L., Elzey, Bennett D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel 01.08.2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; B-Lymphocytes - metabolism; B-Lymphocytes - pathology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Blood Platelets - immunology; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Blood Platelets - pathology; CD40 Ligand - immunology; CD40 Ligand - metabolism; Cell Communication; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunology; Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Lymphocyte Subsets - metabolism; Lymphocyte Subsets - pathology; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Review; T cell receptors; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes - pathology; CD154; B cells; T cells; platelets
• ISSN: 0004-069X; 1661-4917; 1661-4917
• DOI: 10.1007/s00005-009-0032-y

Understanding the adaptive immune response is an area of research critically important in medicine. Several positive regulators of B- and T-cell activation exist to eliminate pathogens, in which CD40 ligand (CD154) plays a fundamental role. It is well documented that CD154 expressed by CD4 T helper cells can be critical in the proper activation of dendritic cells for the productive stimulation of CD8 T cells and is required for proper T-dependent B-cell immunity. However, platelets are an abundant and systemic source of CD154. While classically known to be important for hemostasis and inflammation, several lines of evidence suggest that platelet-derived ligands can modulate the adaptive immune compartment.